The AMSER Science Reader Monthly aims to provide educators
with a useful package of information about a particular topic related
to applied math and science by combining freely available articles from
popular journals with curriculum, learning objects, and web sites from
the AMSER portal. The AMSER Science Reader Monthly is free to use in
the classroom and educators are encouraged to contact AMSER with
suggestions for upcoming issues or comments and concerns at
info@amser.org.

Throughout history, humans have struggled to master the techniques of
agriculture. In the past century, agronomists and others have grappled with how
to master the use of soil all over the world in light of increased
environmental degradation and climate change. Places from southern Wisconsin to
the Loess Plateau in China are struggling to cope with the challenges presented
by processes that include rapid urbanization, suburban sprawl, industrial
farming techniques predicated on widespread chemical use, and at times, an
indifferent public.

In this article from the September 2008 issue of National
Geographic, journalist Charles C. Mann takes on some of these issues in a
wide-ranging piece that addresses topics such as mega-tractors, diminishing
returns from tapped-out soils, and more promising agricultural and
environmental developments in the Sahel region of Africa.

Beginning with a rumination on a visit to the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days
show, Mann starts by addressing the technological trends (in this case,
mega-tractors) that have wide-spread ramifications for the fecundity of soil in
the developed world. Here, Mann describes the double-edged sword that these
massive machines present for the future of soil and agriculture in the United
States and other parts of the world. What is most problematic is that these
machines mash soil into an "impenetrable slab", effectively creating more soil
run-off during rains, and subsequently, wide-spread erosion. Mann continues his
substantial piece by taking readers inside the successes (and failures) of land
reclamation in the Sahel region, the terrace farming methods in central China,
and a trip to the Amazon to learn about the potential of black earth, or "terra
preta" in Portuguese.

Found below is a list of useful resources that will illuminate and enhance
understanding of the topics found within this article. The first three
resources are broadly related to providing innovative solutions to pressing
agriculture issues via scientific invention and sustainable agriculture
methods. The next three resources focus in on resources that deal with coping
and adjusting to environmental change and degradation.

The first entry leads to a website that profiles a vertical
farm prototype proposed by Professor Dickson Despommier and his colleagues at
Columbia University. The second entry will take interested parties to the
homepage of the United States Department of Agriculture's Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) group. Here visitors can learn about
their funded projects and also peruse an online collection of books and
bulletins. Moving on, the third entry will take users to the homepage of The Land
Institute, which is an organization devoted to researching sustainable
agriculture. The fourth entry leads to a helpful and thorough report on
policies relating to desertification offered at a joint international
conference in Algiers in 2006. The fifth entry leads to a fine lesson plan
and exercise that asks students to think critically about "creating a scenario
of a more humane and environmentally sound future." Finally, the last entry
leads to the homepage of the Global Environment Facility which helps developing
countries fund projects and programs that protect the environment. Overall,
these resources should provide greater scope and help contextualize the ideas
and concepts found within in the featured work. The list provides links to
resource records in the Applied
Math and Science Education Repository (http://amser.org).

With the continued growth of the human population of the Earth, there is
increasing concern with the planet's ability to provide sustenance for all of
its inhabitants. This compelling website by Dickson Despommier and his
colleagues at Columbia University provides a worthy alternative to other forms
of agriculture: the vertical farm. As Dr. Despommier notes on the site, "They
offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied
food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems
that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming." The site offers a great deal
of information about these vertical farms, a detailed essay on the importance
of such farms, a number of potential designs, and a discussion forum. Finally,
there are a number of plans that indicate how this type of farm might be
effectively created and sustained.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a research and
education grants program. The goal of the program is to advance farming systems
that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities. The
website includes funding opportunities for farmers, ranchers, educators, and
students. Funded projects are searchable by region or topic and include
reports, summaries, and proposals. SARE also publishes books, bulletins, and
online resources highlighting SARE-funded project results and other innovative
research. Most of the publications are available in print and online.

The Land Institute is devoted to researching sustainable agriculture. This site
contains archives of present and past research activities along with
downloadable publications for use by scientists or the general public.

The phenomenon and process of desertification is one that is currently
threatening one-third of the world’s population from Algeria to China. In
December 2006, the United Nations convened a large panel of expert researchers
to create a set of new, and hopefully, more effective policies that will help
international organizations, national governments, and other concerned parties
deal with the very real threat of massive desertification. The report itself is
37 pages and contains sections like "Innovations to Mainstream Desertification
in the Policy Agenda" and "Connecting Policies for Desertification, Climate
Change and Biodiversity Loss". Fortunately, the report has a number of
pragmatic solutions, including the adoption of environmentally sustainable
farming practices, such as encouraging forests in dryland areas.

This lesson plan is intended to engage students in creating positive scenarios for the future. It includes hosting a Positive Futures Fair for the community that highlights career and volunteer opportunities to create a more sustainable society.

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the environment; active in the areas of biodivesity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, ozone protection, persistent organic pollutants and renewable energy. The GEF works closely with various agencies of the United Nations.